1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to locks, and more particularly to locks useful for securing wheeled vehicles such as automobiles, trucks, trailers, motorcycles and bicycles.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known that an effective and efficient manner of locking vehicles is to secure the wheels of the vehicle against rotation. Various locks for engaging automobile and trailer wheels, as well as motorcycle and bicycle wheels are known. These devices include chains and clasps of many descriptions. In many of these locks a shackle is secured to a lock body, where the shackle can be removed or separated from the lock body only by operation of an appropriate lock. The lock may be a combination lock, a key lock, or any lock of suitable construction. Such locks are susceptible to manipulation or breakage of the shackle or lock in order to separate the shackle from the lock body. It would therefore be desirable to provide a lock construction which has improved resistance to tampering with the lock.
The present invention concerns a lock assembly. The lock assembly includes: a shackle having an engagement portion with a plurality of apertures therethrough; a lock housing comprising a first end having a first end opening, a second end having a second end opening and an open interior between the ends for receiving a lock body therein, and at least one opening for receiving the engagement portion of the shackle; a blocking member attached to the lock housing; the lock body having: an elongated lock member dimensioned to pass through at least one of the apertures in the engagement portion; a lock adapted for engagement to the lock member so as to prevent the removal of the lock member from the at least one aperture in the engagement portion of the shackle, the lock body being dimensioned to substantially fit within the lock housing, the lock having access structure accessible from either of the first and second ends of the lock housing; wherein the lock member may be passed through at least one alternative aperture of the plurality of apertures in the shackle for adjusting the position of the shackle relative to the lock housing.
In one arrangement, the shackle can be substantially U-shaped with two shackle legs and a connecting abutment portion in which each shackle leg can have an engagement portion with an aperture for receiving the lock member. In addition, the lock housing can have corresponding openings for receiving the engagement portions. Also, the shackle legs can be substantially parallel and coplanar, and the connecting portion can be offset from the plane of the legs. Moreover, the connecting portion can include an adjustment structure for adjusting the distance between the shackle legs.
In another arrangement, the housing can have aligned first and second openings for receiving the engagement portion of the shackle in which the engagement portion of the shackle can have a plurality of apertures. The shackle can pass through the aligned openings in the housing, and the lock member can be placed through one of the apertures in the engagement portion of the shackle to adjust the position of the shackle relative to the lock housing. In another aspect, the lock assembly can further include an abutment portion at an end of the shackle substantially opposite to the engagement portion. The abutment portion can include a plate. Further, the shackle can include a flexible material, and the lock housing can include at least one slotted opening. The lock housing can also include an opening for receiving the lock body and an opening for receiving the lock member. The blocking member can be a plate or a ring. Also, the blocking member can either be permanently attached or detachably attached to the lock housing.